There are presently many exercisers available on the market for exercising the human torso and upper and lower extremities. Many of the devices which use traditional exercising techniques such as working against compression devices or gravitational apparatus (such as weight lifting) are bulky, heavy and must often be used in an area that is dedicated to such exercising, such as gymnasia and exercise rooms. There appears to be a direct relationship between the degree at which the body may be exercised and the relative size and immobility of the exercise device, that is, devices that exercise a small portion of the body such as the hands can be very small, e.g., a rubber ball; while those that exercise a significant amount of the body, e.g., a rowing machine, are extremely bulky and heavy. As mentioned, the thread of commonality in these types of exercisers is the compression of some medium such as a resilient, compressible material, a spring or elastomeric bars, strands or ropes. Springs are often found in exercisers of the aforementioned types and are most notably seen in the dash-pot, buffer or shock absorber mechanism, such as one would encounter with rowers and similar apparatus. The later apparatus, the shock absorber type, is one of the most useful and is employed in the instant invention because, for its size, it provides the most convenient form of energy storage with linear relaxation characteristics. These characteristics are due, of course, to the spring component of the shock absorber-buffer, as well as the often incorporated use of hydraulics in such mechanisms.
This inventor has devised a unique and truly novel apparatus whereby a single individual might optimize his or her exercise capability using a minimum apparatus which is easily handled, light weight and portable. Indeed, the feature of portability is imperative in the derivation of maximum utility from this invention.
The inventor, long a walker (hiker) who observed that lower extremity and lower torso development was clearly the result of vigorous walking, deduced that upper extremity and upper torso development could also be attained were one to employ the upper extremities as legs, much in the manner as the lower extremities. The major difficulty with emulating the quadraped, and thus deriving equivalent benefit of walking in both the upper torso and extremities, is that the upper extremities of the human being must somehow be lengthened so that a balanced gait might somehow be achieved during the walking exercise. To this end, this inventor has developed both an apparatus and a method for emulating the gait of the quadraped and using a minimum amount of exercising apparatus. The instant invention provides, in effect, extensions for the upper extremities that operate on the familiar shock absorber, dash-pot or buffer principle, are truly portable and, when used properly in the method suggested by this inventor, will afford an exercising regimen that is suitable for alll ages and beneficial to the entire body, prinipally the lower torso and extremities and the upper torso and extremities.
Having conceived the general embodiment of the instant invention, the inventor performed a diligent background search to discover pertinent prior art. Relevant patents discovered were those issued in 1918 to W. F. Bonds, U.S. Pat. No. 1,265,993 for a crutch, and in 1926 to J. B. Glowacki, U.S. Pat. No. 1,580,295 for an adjustable, resilient nonskid crutch.
The Bonds crutch envisioned an essentially rectangular frameword which was fitted in the armpit of the user and which was afforded spring-coupled strut means for contact with the ground, that allowed the user to make adjustments in the length of the strut which terminated with a handle means. The purpose of the spring coupling was to allow the user to pick up the tip of the crutch strut by pulling up very slightly on the handle. This obviated the necessity of raising the shoulder and, of course, had its utility when only one crutch was used. The apparatus of Glowacki inculcated spring type buffer means in the lower portion of the crutch strut. The main thrust of the Glowacki invention was to provide shock absorbing means at the tip of the standard crutch. Since the length of this resilient tip was adjustable, the Glowacki invention allowed the user to employ varying degrees of shock absorbance, depending upon the user's weight as he or she plunged downward on the crutch. Thus, in the relevant prior art, the only use of the shock absorber technology appeared to be for just such a purpose; and, the use of compression means (a spring) was used for the purpose of lifting the crutch tip a couple of inches so that the shoulder would not have to be raised. This latter technique was further employable so as to keep the shoulders barely level and not, by any means, to effect the rolling gait of a quadraped.
The disadvantages of most full-body exercisers have been overcome by the instant invention and the paucity of prior art relating to the instant invention clearly indicates that its availability will provide the average exerciser an inexpensive, truly functional apparatus of great utility.